whats the best chameleon for someone whos had lizards but never a chameleon.
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nathan
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choosing a chameleon
izzy-iggy
Dec 23, 2003 11:48 AM
Replies (1)
Carlton
Dec 24, 2003 11:40 AM
Most keepers will suggest either panthers (Furcifer pardalis) or veileds (Chamaeleo calyptratus) for your first. There are known captive bred animals available and more is known about their husbandry requirements. Things you should NOT do include buying a tiny hatchling from a pet store chain, rescue a miserable cham from a store that is not caring for it properly (even though that seems to be the kindest thing), or buy an adult of a species that is not captive bred (wc). Babies need extremely small food such as fruit flies and pinhead crix and these are harder to handle, harder to find, and babies are trickier to acclimate if you don't know chams well. Adult imports are usually suffering from stress, dehydration and degrees of kidney failure, and will need repeated treatment for parasites. The money you might save on buying a wc adult (as compared to a cbb) will be spent on vet treatment. Another species commonly seen is Jackson's (Chamaeleo jacksoni). I don't consider them a good beginner species as they are a bit more fussy in terms of humidity and temps, but you'll see them.
The better info sources on line include www.adcham.com, www.chameleonjournals.com, www.calumma.com, www.geocities.com/ccicenter and www.chameleonnews.com
Good luck!
